1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to a data distribution method for preventing unfair use of, by serving to protect rights to, digital content that includes moving images, and for associating distributed digital content with commercially oriented advertising information; and it relates to a data use device for using usable digital content based on predetermined conditions.
2. Description of Related Art
In recent years advances in infrastructure upgrading, wherein the keywords are broadband and digital broadcasting, are proceeding rapidly, and in metropolitan areas in particular, work building up fiber-optic infrastructure for “broadband access networks” is advancing. The building up of subscriber fiber-optic networks presumably will progress even more rapidly given the “e-Japan” endeavor that is a governmental objective. In environments in which users' access lines to the Internet are always connected it is possible for the users, by determining themselves whether or not to use content items while evaluating content, to subdivide content-use units into image units from packages. By affording users the opportunity to evaluate the subject matter of content, this is tied in with being able to provide a use environment in which content selection privileges are taken into consideration.
Further, likewise as with ground-wave broadcasting and digital broadcasting, in Internet broadcasting, time-consuming content such as moving pictures and streaming images enables tying in with providers of commercial advertisements and like publicity. That is, the fact that content-use status can be observed/administrated during online time means the possibility of an advertising-provider-targeted business of selling time for tie-ins with advertising providers. Given these circumstances, through commercial publicizing fees from advertising providers, content can be provided at low charge to users.
Nevertheless, because use in package units has to date been the basis of the technology for administrating moving-picture and streaming-image content, as far as use restrictions are concerned, one-time license checks prior to use have been the norm; restricting use while a user is evaluating the subject matter of content has been problematic. Consequently, absence of an environment in which users may properly evaluate the subject matter of content has been one of the factors hindering studio productivity of, and quality improvement by, content creators (such as independent labels), who have not been involved in stimulating eagerness to purchase and in vitalizing the content market.
Moreover, the business of broadcast-distributing moving-picture content carries with it the problem that establishing business models for commercial publicity is, compared with ground-wave broadcasting, difficult. The principal factor behind this would seem at the present time to be that schemes enabling tie-ins between advertising providers and content used on the Internet have not been offered.